A: Baby, it certainly is hot outside! As the temperatures rise, you might think the coolest place to be is in the pond with your fish. Surprisingly, however, pond fish can feel the heat, too. The warm water feels “stuffy” to them because it contains less oxygen than cooler water. Check out these four tips for keeping your koi and goldfish cool as finned cucumbers.

1. Check your Water Temperature: Ideally, your pond’s water temperature should be at a comfortable 70 degrees Fahrenheit or less. Use the Pond Logic® Floating Pond Thermometer to check the pond’s temp, and if it’s too warm, do a partial water change to give the fish some fresh, cool water.

2. Top Off the Pond: Even if your pond’s water temperature is hovering near that 70 degree zone, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on your pond’s water level and add more when needed. When the mercury rises, remember that your water will evaporate more quickly into the atmosphere.

3. Create Shady Spots: Just as you seek out shady spots to shield yourself from the sun’s rays, fish will do the same to keep themselves cool – and prevent themselves from getting sunburned! Be sure to provide floating plants, water lilies and other types of shade cover for your pond pets. Have fun with it! Add some tropical lilies like the Panama Pacific, tropical bog plants like the Red Canna or other hot-weather plants that prefer the warmer weather.

4. Provide Aeration: Do you like sitting by the fan or swamp cooler during heat waves like this one? Well, an underwater bubbler or aeration system, such as the Airmax® PondAir™ Aeration System, is like a fan to fish. The cooler water that’s loaded with oxygen is easier for the fish to breathe.

While the heat waves persist this summer, follow these tips to ensure your fish stay cool and comfortable in their watery home. They’ll thank you for it!

Pond Talk: Where is your favorite place to chill out when the temperature soars?

2 Responses

I live in the low Sonora Desert Outback in Arizona and my faucet water is hotter than the pond. It is normal for the pond water to be at least in the 80s. The fish don’t seem to mind as they have always been used to it. The winter temps are high 40s to high 50s, so they are very accustomed to warmth. They eat one small meal a day all winter and are voracious in the summer. We do have the whole pond under 3 levels of green screen roofed pergolas. We run 2 waterfalls, 1 fountain, 2 skimmers…plus 2 uv filters and 2bioball filters.There are 6 lilies, 1 bog plant, 1 group of cattail, and a lotus. I use beneficial bacteria in the pond. It still gets some algae but not bad compared to last year before we added the pergolas, extra filtration, and waterfall. My BIGGEST heat related problem is the desert toads breeding in the pond. The fish do NOT like sharing thier home and the eggs are a headache to clear out. The heat causes all kinds of troubles in the desert.

Hi Barbara Jo – Given your location if you are able to keep the water temperature around 8o degrees I’d say you are doing pretty good. The added benefit of the plant coverage, pergolas and all your filtration definitely keeps the pond healthy and boosts oxygen circulation. Keep up the good work. There probably isn’t to much you can do about the toads but I’m sure your fish will help out with eating the eggs.